Buckle



A. J. WOOD.

BUCKLE.

APPLlcATloN FILED JUNE 2.1921.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

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ARTH'R J. WOOD, OF BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN.

BUCKLE.

Application filed June 2,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J; VVooD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident 0f Birmingham, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionv has reference to trouser supporting means and more particularly to an improved buckle having novel means to engage the top button hole of the trousers at the fly or front portion so as to prevent sagging of the trousers as well as the belt at this point, as will occur unless the trousers or belt are uncomfortably tight. The buckle is provided with a hook or like device adapted to support the trousers but will in no way interfere with the buttoning or unbuttoning of the trousers or usual working of the belt or buckle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle and means carried thereby for engaging the top button hole of the trousers as specified, which may be punched out of sheet metal and shaped as required, thus producing adevice which may be economically produced and which is both reliable and etlicient in use and not likely to get out of working Order.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawino's, wherein *igure l is a perspective view of the improved buckle looking toward the rear side thereof.

Figure 2 is a front elevation.

Figure 3 is a `horizontal sectional view showing the device applied, as when in use and fastened.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the trousers partly opened and with the device applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the buckle is shown as comprising a shield or plate 10 constituting the front portion thereof and preferably of rectangular outline. Vhile the shape of the device may be al1 tered as desired, it is preferably as shown and described, said plate being of sheet metal and having the top and bottom edges bent rearwardly at right angles in the same direction and parallel to each other to form Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14., 1922.

1921. Serial No. 474,460.

top and bottom flanges 11 and 12. These flanges are provided with means for clamping one end, that is the free end of the belt 13 therein and in Contact with the rear face of the. shield or plate 10, consisting of a catch, clamping bar or other form of clamping or camming lever as is common in the art. As shown, the top and bottom flanges 11 and 12 are provided with diagonal slots 14 receiving the knurled clamping bar or catch 15 therethrough, said bar being held from displacement by the upset or headed ends 16 forming the enlargement preventing the displacement of the bar through the slots 14 which are diagonally spaced as above pointed out and extended toward the front at one end from the rear or inner edges of the flanges 11 and 12 intermediately of the length of the shield or lplate.

At the opposite end of the shield or plate, it is provided with means for connection with the opposite end of the belt, indicated at 17 in Figure 3 of the drawing and for connection with the trousers. The trousers are designated at 18 and one flapy 19 at the closure has the other ap 2O folding thereover and fastened thereby by buttons or the like in the usual manner, including a top butt-on hole 21 and a button 22 engaged thereby, the trousers having suitable straps yor loops 23 engaged by the belt in order to support the same around the waist line and also provide means for supporting the trousers in the usual manner.

The flanges 11 and 12 receive pivotally therein` a clamping plate 24 having' top and bottom Hanges 25 and 26 of triangular form in plan, the same being bent at the free end of the plate 24 in. the same direction and parallel to each other from the upper edges thereof so as to taper in width toward the pivoted end 27, which end is provided with upper and lower extensions, pivots or trunnions 28 engaging pivot apertures 29 in the top and bottom flanges 11 and 12, thus mounting the plates 24 for pivotal movement toward and away from the shield or front plate 10 between the flanges l1 and 12, but limited in its forward movement by contact with the inner or rear face of said shield and in its rearward movement in acute angled relation with respect to the plane thereof. It should be noted also that the front plate 10 is preferably curved so asto conform to the body of the wearer, together with the belt, connected thereto as above pointed out. However, in order to connect the end l? of the belt in position, it is disposed between the flanges 25 and 26, the width of the belt being substantially the same width as the belt extending through the flanges ll and l2. but slightly reduced,

in view of the fact that the plate 24 is pivoted between the flanges 1l and 19. as above specified. A clamping or camming lever 80 is pivoted between the flanges Q5 and 26 being provided with pivots or. trunnions 3l at the angular portion formed by the cam or clamping part 32 disposed at right angles or in other desirable angular' relationto the plate or wing proper 30, so that the belt may be entered beneath said cam and by swinging the gripping portion or wing 30 from the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the cam or clamping portion 32 will be disposed at right angles to the plane of the shield or plate portiqn 10 so as to eX tend toward the latter, thereby confining the belt end 17 between its edge portion and the inner face of the plate 10, thus securely attaching one end of the belt to the buckle. The opposite end of the plate 24; is provided with a reduced portion bent rearwardly to form a hook or like engaging .means 33 designed to engage or project through the button hole 21 while not interfering with-the engagement thereof by the button 29. in the fastening of the parts at theytop of the trousers.

In the use of the device, withthe belt end l? secured inv position tothe buckle, the buckle is passed through the loops orstraps and around the trousers in the usual way. The hook 33 is first engaged in the button hole 2l or after the belt is mounted on the trousers and then the free end of the belt 13 is disposed beneath the locking member or bar l5, or other suitable means provided for this purpose and then passedbeneath or between the shield or plate 10 and the plate 24 by reason of the spacing of the apertures and the pivots 29 and 28 respectively from the plate l() toward the rear face thereof at the inside, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. In this way, the belt can be tightened, but need not be uncomfortably tight, in order to prevent sagging while serving the usual supporting function. This is due to the fact that the hook 38 serves as a means for supporting the buckle at the top of the trousers or closing means at the front and waist line. Furthermore, the hook will in no way interfere with the buttoning and unbuttoning of the trousers or usual working of the belt or buckle, and obviously,when a button and button hole is not employed as a fastening means for the liaps or two portions of' the trousers adjacent to the fly, other engagingmeans might be provided on the plate 24 or the buckle for supporting the buckle in position in ac- (ordance with the spirit of the invention.

In view of the foregoing, it is thought that the operation ofthe device will be readily understood and in view of the simplicity and practical value that it will readily commend itself to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is l. A buckle comprising .a shield plate, means for adjustably passing thefree lend of a belt therethrough at one end of the plate and extending along in back ofthe latter, a clamping means pivoted to the opposite end of the shield and bent for de-y tachable `engagement with the opposite end of the belt, and a hook formed on said clampin'gmeans as and for the purposes specified. j

2. A buckle of the class described comprising a shield plate having top and bottom flanges, a locking member for adjustably connecting one end of a belt thereto and so as to pass beneath the same, and in rear of' the plate, a plate pivoted between the flanges ofthe shield plate at the opposite portion and having a rearwardly and outwardly directed hook at its inner end for engaging the top button hole of the trousers, and a `clamping device carried by the pivoted plate to detachably connectvthe opposite end of the belt. v

3. The combination with a flanged belt shield having a locking member at one end; a plate pivoted and having upper and lower flanges, said plate projecting fromthe first plate and pivoted in spaced relation `to the rear face thereof, a hook at the inner end ofthe second platea-nd projecting rearwardly, and a cam locking member carried by the second plate.

ARTHUR J. WOOD. 

